Catholic Universities Continually Betray Our Trust

This week’s battle for the culture of life was highly focused on decisions by two supposedly Catholic universities who plan to give honors and speaking space to public figures who champion the killing of human beings in the womb through abortion and birth control.

The University of Notre Dame is once again honoring a pro-abortion politician. Vice President Joe Biden will receive the university’s highest honor—the Laetare Medal—at its graduation ceremonies in May. Biden calls himself a Catholic while pushing for federal legislation to expand abortion centers in this country and claims he is in concert with the Catholic Church. You may recall that, several years ago, Notre Dame caused a great scandal by having another administration leader—President Barack Obama—give the commencement address and receive an honorary degree. That action caused great consternation within the pro-life community, prompted many Notre Dame alumni to stop their donations to the university, and resulted in the arrest of 88 peaceful pro-life protesters on the day of graduation.

It appears that Notre Dame learned nothing from the Obama event. Of course, that is not surprising. Since the days of Rev. Theodore Hesburgh (president of Notre Dame from 1952 to 1987) the university has had a cozy relationship with Planned Parenthood, SIECUS, the Rockefeller Foundation, and other leaders in the culture of death.

There will be organized protests during Biden’s appearance at the university this year, and we will bring you further information as it develops.

Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic university in the United States, made the news this week as well. The administration is allowing Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, to come to the campus in April to give a talk to its students. American Life League (along with other groups) is condemning this action (see Judie Brown’s commentary in this newsletter). The idea that a supposedly Catholic university would allow the leader of the largest abortion chain in the nation—operating 48 percent of all the abortion centers and committing over 30 percent of the abortions in the country—to come on campus and have an opportunity to influence the thinking of impressionable college students is inexcusable.

The Catholic Church prides itself on the fact that we have always and consistently been against abortion. Yet, at a time when Catholics make up a majority of the Supreme Court and have numerous senators and representatives in Congress and established universities, the culture of death is running rampant. It is time to storm heaven with prayers for our country and our world.